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Cosmic Material Evolution Lab
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A lab that explores the evolution of planetary systems through the analysis of meteorites and cosmic dust, together with experiments.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring how planetary systems came to be through meteorites and cosmic dust.
The Cosmic Material Evolution Lab investigates how planetary systems form and evolve through analysis of, and experiments on, extraterrestrial materials such as meteorites and cosmic dust.
Large bodies such as Earth retain almost no evidence of events in the early Solar System, so the lab precisely analyzes meteorites that came from asteroids and dust scattered by comets.
The lab is divided into an analysis group and an experiment group, and each approaches its research differently.
The lab also accepts visits from prospective members.
Key terms
- Cosmic dust
- Tiny dust particles that fall from space. They are fine grains no larger than a millimeter in diameter.
- Noble gases
- Gaseous elements examined in the analysis. Their isotopes reveal the origin of materials, when particles formed, and the heating temperatures they experienced.
- Isotopes
- Atoms of the same element that differ slightly in mass. They serve as clues for reading the origin of materials and traces of their changes.
- Protoplanetary disk
- A disk that forms around the central star when a molecular cloud core contracts under gravity. Planets are born from it.
- Refractory inclusions (CAIs)
- Aggregates of high-temperature minerals regarded as the oldest materials in the Solar System. They are found in meteorites.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to clarify the process by which planets are born from molecular cloud cores through protoplanetary disks, using methods such as detailed analysis of Solar System materials. It explores the evolution of planetary systems in two ways: by analyzing meteorites, cosmic dust, and microparticles brought back by spacecraft, and by conducting experiments that assume conditions in the disk.
*Illustrative imageExploring the Early Solar System with Meteorites and Cosmic Dust
Evidence of events in the early Solar System remains in almost no large bodies such as Earth. The lab therefore precisely analyzes meteorites that came from asteroids and dust scattered by comets in order to obtain information about the early Solar System.
*Illustrative imageElemental and Isotopic Analysis of Extraterrestrial Materials
The lab examines chondrite meteorites, Martian meteorites, cosmic dust, and microparticles brought back by the Hayabusa spacecraft using microscopic observation, elemental composition analysis, and isotope mass spectrometry. The aim is to elucidate the origin and evolutionary processes of Solar System materials.
*Illustrative imageNoble Gas Analysis and Development of New Instruments
The lab's highly sensitive mass spectrometer, dedicated to noble gases, can detect noble gas isotopes at the level of about 10,000 atoms and can analyze extremely small samples such as the Hayabusa samples. The lab is also developing a new laser-based mass spectrometer.
*Illustrative imageExperiments Simulating Conditions in the Disk
In experiments that simulate the protosolar disk, the lab studies how the oxygen isotopes of refractory inclusions (CAIs), regarded as the oldest materials in the Solar System, and of amorphous silicates change, and whether presolar SiC grains can survive in the disk.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Cosmic Material Evolution Lab consist of faculty members, professors emeritus, and master's students.
- ProfessorRyuji Okazaki
- Assistant ProfessorDaiki Yamamoto
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Namibie Hoba Meteorite 05” No machine-readable author provided. Calips assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Exploring the Early Solar System with Meteorites and Cosmic Dust: “Moon meteorites collection” Steve Jurvetson / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Elemental and Isotopic Analysis of Extraterrestrial Materials: “Europa Clipper's Mass Spectrometer” NASA/JPL-Caltech / Public domain (cropped)
- Noble Gas Analysis and Development of New Instruments: “Glowing noble gases” New work Alchemist-hp (talk) www.pse-mendelejew.de); original single images: Jurii, http://images-of-elements.com. / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Experiments Simulating Conditions in the Disk: “Laboratory of Dust Plasma Diagnostics” Stanislav Liubauskas / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Theoretical Cosmic Evolution Lab): “Protoplanetary disk HH-30” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Organic Cosmochemistry and Geochemistry Lab): “Allende meteorite, carbonaceous chondrite ( )” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Earth System Chemistry Lab): “Pāhoehoe Lava flow” Brocken Inaglory / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Earth and Planetary Natural History Lab): “Uncoiled Lower Creataceous Ammonites from Northern Bulgaria (Coll. N. Dimitrova) at the Sofia University 'St. Kliment Ohridski' Museum of Paleontology and Historical Geology” Motekov / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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